Editor’s Note: Feeling the ‘Vibe’ at Response Expo

On Friday, May 2, I was sitting poolside at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront, taking an afternoon off after helping host Response Expo 2014 there during the preceding four days. Most of you haven’t participated in creating, organizing and hosting a trade event for more than 3,300 people, but — and I’ll speak on behalf of our Response team — it takes a little bit of work! Enough work over the months leading up to the event and the days during it that I didn’t feel one bit guilty with my feet in the water that afternoon as a stray beach ball floated up to me.

I grabbed the blue-and-white inflatable, and I chuckled as I read the logo on it — Turner Direct Response. Yes, that’s right — the kids playing in the pool were playing with a leftover Response Expo giveaway item from one of the network groups that hosted meetings at the Hilton pool during the event.

I tossed the ball back to those kids and thought to myself, “Response Expo just doesn’t quit!”

And, indeed, from our perspective here, it truly doesn’t. While the focus is on our attendees getting the best networking and education possible — along with a nice dollop of fun — the show just passed (our eighth annual) really brought to life one thing for our team: Response Expo has become the go-to event in our industry.

Much like we’ve heard from Response Magazine readers over the years about the power of our reach, we heard more incredible feedback than ever this year in San Diego about the expansion of the Expo, the atmosphere for networking and business it’s created, and — simply — its positive, laid-back “vibe.”

But that “vibe” doesn’t just happen. It’s built every morning when we get to work on each monthly issue of Response Magazine. It grows during our Direct Response Marketing Alliance (DRMA) networking events throughout the year. It is reinforced by such successful, industry-inclusive honors as the voting processes for DRMA Marketer of the Year and Member of the Year.

And, if things fall into order the way we hope, that “vibe” comes to full fruition in San Diego every spring. Our team does its very best to create all of the opportunities for attendees to mix, mingle and close business. In the end, though, whether or not the Response Expo “vibe” comes to life comes down to you — the exhibitor, the sponsor, the speaker, the attendee.

From our perspective, Response Expo 2014 was our best event yet — and we’ve gotten plenty of feedback from you telling us we’re not wrong! Thanks for that. Keep your feedback — positive or constructive — coming. We love to hear it. It’s the only way we can keep improving.

Mostly, though, thank you to all who were a part of this year’s Expo. We set it up — but you made it great!